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Murcia Community
Make the most of your time in Murcia Community, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links to plan your visit.
The region of Murcia is tucked away on Spain’s lovely south-east coast between the communities of Andalucia to the south, Valencia to the north and Castile La Mancha to the north-west. Its 170 kilometres of coastline spill out onto the Mediterranean Sea and the interesting stretch of separated sea called the Mar Menor, or the ‘little sea’, which is the greatest natural lake in the country.
Murcia is not all about sun, sea and sand however; it also has archaeological sites such as cave paintings, Roman architecture and dominating castles, while the major towns and cities have much to offer, whether it is the age-old port city of Cartagena or the regional capital of Murcia. Confusion can be caused with the use of the term Murcia which is used to describe the capital city, the autonomous community itself and the singular province which exists in the region.
Further, mountainous areas make up more than a quarter of the community’s surface area, and so they also offer a great opportunity for exploration. Also, there are castles, fortresses and convents in towns such as Lorca, Alhama and Mula.
Murcia is Spain’s ninth largest region, although it is still fairly small in comparison with some of the communities. It contains approximately 1.2 million inhabitants, a third of whom live in the capital city, which is where the seat of government is held, although the parliament actually sits in Cartagena. Importantly, this has been the case since June 1982 when Murcia gained its autonomy and self-rule under the terms of the new constitution.
The region manages to produce fruit, vegetables and flowers in abundance while its wine and olive oil industries are developing too. The warm Mediterranean climate helps with the agricultural process although there is sometimes a lack of rain. Generally the winters are mild and the summers are warm. In fact, Murcia holds the record for Spain’s hottest temperature; it reached 47.2 degrees in the region’s capital city in 1994.
The Segura River is the major river which flows through Murcia, while the region also catches the eastern part of Cordilleras Beticas Mountains. It has a couple of peaks over 2,000 metres, one of which is the Revolcadores Mountain.